Metallurgical apparatus



May 26, 1936. J. o. BETTERTON ET AL. 1 2,041,810

, METALLURGICAL APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27, 1954 Patented May 226, 1936 y f Jesse 0. Betterton, Metuchen, and Karl A.l Undc ner, Railway, N. J., assignors to American Smclting and Rening Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey 6 Claims.

stantial quantities of solder, which constitutes a valuable by-product in the treatment of such scrap. v

In view of the relatively low melting point of this solder, the practice generally is to subject the solder-bearing scrap to a preliminary low temperature sweating operation which is intended to melt o'if the solder which is collected and marketed .as such after only relatively minor treatment. The melting of this solder causes dis-f integration of the scrap, however, with the result that much of the solder remains adhering to the disintegrated scrap and does not flow away therefrom to the collecting pans.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved type of furnace in which the solder of solder-bearing scrap may be melted and 'freed from the scrap in a substantially more expeditious manner than has heretofore. been possible. j

A further object of the invention is to provide a furnace of the above indicated character which includes mechanism whereby the scrap radiators or other articles may be subjected to agitation or shaking action during the sweating operation, whereby the solder is effectively liberated from the scrap as it is melted. l

A still further object of the invention is to pro- -vide a furnace ofthe indicated character in which there are provided readily controllable heating means disposed so as to uniformly heat the furnace'to the desired temperature, while preventing overheating thereof and while maintain- 45 ing substantially constant Vatmospheric conditions in the furnace during the sweatingoperations.

Further objects and advantages of the present construction will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features` of novelty will be pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

The present'invention embraces the thought that if the radiators or other solder-containing scrap be shaken or otherwise agitated during the y Application December 21, 1934, Serial No. 759,358

(CI. 26S- 33) sweating operation, the molten solder will be more freely released therefrom, so that the d irect yield `vof readily marketable solder will be substantially increased.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through one form of thev improved furnace, the heatingV chamber :of the furnace being shown in section to illustratev the mounting of the shaking table and disposition of the heating elements, the mechanism for 10 imparting movement to the shaking table being shown in elevation, partsthereof being broken away for clarity, the view also'showing, in-dotted lines, the position of the shaking table when in discharging position.

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shaking table of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the scrapreceiving basket, however, being omitted.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, it Will be seen that the apparatus of the present `invention comprises the furnace A in which is mounted a melting compartment B and a plurality of the heating elements C.

'I'he furnace 4A is built up of refractory walls 5,'the melting compartment B being supportedthereon so that the bottom 'II of the compartment is inclined at va suiiicient anglevto enable melted solder metal to run freely through the solder out- 30 let 9 into suitable receiving molds, not shown. 'I'he compartment `B is formed of sheet steel and is mounted on angles I I suitably anchored to the furnace walls and extending along the side and end walls of the furnace A. The chamber B -is 35 provided with a removable cover I3, also of sheet steel, provided on its underside with a layer of heat insulating material l5. The cover I3 is provided adjacent to its upper end with an opening I 1 adapted to receive the basket-supporting mern- 40 ber I9.

As will be apparent from the drawing, there is positioned in the compartment B a basket 2l, which is adapted to receive the radiators or other scrap to be treated.

This basket 2I comprises a frame made up oi." a bottom 23, sides 25 and 21 and ends 29 and 3i. The basket 2| is pivotally mounted at 33 on rod` 35 mounted in the side walls I2 and I4 of the heating chamber B. The bottom of basket 2I is 50 formed by t'he transversely' extending Aspaced bars 31 which carry the radiators or other scrap and which also "reinforce the sides 25 and. 21 of the basket. The bars 31 are suitably welded or otherwise secured, to the sides 25 and 21 and also 55 to the longitudinally extending bar 39. The spaces 4| between the barsv 31 form egress openings for the molten solder 'which runs therethrough to the inclined bottom 1 of the compartment B, and is guided through the outlet 9 by the end walls 43'and 45 which converge to the outlet 9.

The scrap-receiving basket 2| is supported at one end by the pivot bar and at the other end by a suitable releasable support of any kind, i1- lustrated as a hook member I9 which is passed through a suitable opening in the end 3| of the basket 2|. This hook member I9 connects the basket 2| with a shaking beam 41, operation of which agitates the basket 2| and the scrap thereon.

As will be seen from the drawing, the beam 41 is pivotally connected at the horizontal pivot 49 to the upright supporting beam 5| suitably anchored to the oor 53. 'Ihe pivot 49 is adjacent to one end of the beam 41, the hook I9 being connected to the beam adjacent to the other end. 'I'he beam 41 is thus free to be vertically reciprocated about pivot 49, as shown by'dotted lines in- 'Ihe mechanism for shaking the beam 41 is contained in the housing 55. This mechanism com prises a cam 51 mounted on a shaft 59 which is operated, through any suitable standard type speed reducing mechanism, not shown, by a motor 6|; or the speed of the motor may be controlled by a rheostat or other means. The shaft 59 is supported in bearings 63 and 65 suitably secured to the housing 55. Also illustrated as being mounted on the housing 55A and anchored thereto is an upright 61 provided at its upper end with a stop 69 which engages the, shaking beam 41 and acts as a stop Ifor the beam 41 on the downward stroke of the beam. The standard 61 is provided withan outstanding arm or bracket 1l terminating in a. vertical bearing 13 through which passes a rod 15, this rod being connected at 11 with the shaking beam 41 and, extending into the housing 55, rides on the surface of the cam 51, the end 19 'of the rod being in continuous engagement with the cam 51 so that as the cam 51 rotates, the rod 15 will be moved up and down to vibrate or to shake the bar 41, thereby vigorously shaking or jarring the basket 2|. A bearing 8| may be provided for the rod'15 at the housing 55.

The furnace A and compartment B are heated by heating units `C comprising a suitable number of electric heaters 83, the drawing showing four such heaters disposed longitudinally of the furnace, with a fifth heater extending transversely of the furnace; The use of electric heating apparatus enables a close control of the'temperature and any complications of operating conditions resulting from the presence of combustion gases are avoided, there being maintained a more uniform compositionof the furnace atmosphere than in the case where a gasor oil-fired furnace is used. l

In operation, the cover I3 is removed and the scrap radiators or other materials are placed in the basket 2|, the furnace A together with compartment B having been brought up to a temperature sumciently high to melt the solder in the scrap. The cover is replaced, and the motor 6I started, thus operating the cam 51, the basket 2| being vigorously vertically shaken by the motion transmitted from the cam through the rod 15 and the bar 41,. The solder, as it melts, runs through the spaces 4| land down the inclined bottom 1 of angle as the bottom 1 of the compartment B.A 5

'I'his inclination, coupled with the shaking action of the basket 2 I, causes the scrap to move towards the lower end of the basket. This movement, together with the jarring of the materials in the basket, effectively frees the molten solder from the materials, and prevents the same from becoming entrapped in the materials, thereby very materially increasing the yields of solder in a condition ready for market, with at most only relatively slight treatment being required for its Iulilllnient of market requirements.

The scrap, after the solder has drained off, is discharged from the basket 2l by stopping the 1 motor 6|, removing the cover I3, disengaging the hook I 9 from the basket 2| and lifting the basket around pivot 35Jinto its dumping position as indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 1, the sweated materials being thereby dumped from the basket.

In Fig. 1, numeral represents a reinforcing 25 brace for the basket 2|.

It will be seen from the drawing that the compartment B, in practice, is a metallic receptacle which is inserted as a unit in the'heating. chamber of the furnace A, and which is installed 30 in the heating chamber in slopingposition so that its outlet for the sweated solder or other metal is at the lowest level. 'I'he heating elements 83 are positioned beneath the sloping bottom 1 ofthe receptacle B so that certain of 'these 35 heating elements are positioned longitudinally l of the receptacle B while other oi.' these heating elements are positioned transversely of the receptacle B, and beneath the lowest portions of the receptacle, so that the sweated solder in 40 the receptacle B will be subjected to a continuously increasing amount of heat as it moves towards the outlet, so that the sweated metal will be freely molten and liquid for free passage through the outlet, it being suiilciently hot as it 45 passes through the outlet so that there will be no tendency for solidication of the sweated .metal until it has passed clear from the furnace.

struction herein illustrated and described, 'it

being obvious that'these details mas7 be varied relatively widely without departing from the spirit-of the invention, as will become readily apparent to those skiuedin the ort; and 1t wm 55 be understood, therefore, that-it is intended and Y desired to embrace within the scope of this invention such modiilcations and changes as may be .necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses. w

What is claimed iszy 1. A metallurgical furnace comprising the combination with a heating chamber, of a material-receiving receptacle therein, mechanism for shaking the receptacle, and a pivotal mount- 65 ing enabling the receptacle to be turned outwardly from the furnace on the mounting 'and inverted into dumping position.

2. A .metallurgical furnace comprising the combination with a heating chamber, of a ma- 70 terial-receiving basket having a periorate bottom'thereln, mechanism for shaking the bas? ket, and supporting means for the basket4 including a pivotal mounting therefor at one end of the basket adjacent the upper edge thereof and releasable securing means cooperating therewith, the securing lmeans being positionedopposite to the pivotal mounting, the basket being thereby suspended on the mounting and securing means, whereby upon release of the securing means the receptacle may-be swung vertically about its pivotal mounting into inverted dumping position'.

3.. A furnace for separating lower-meltingl from higher melting metals and alloys, comprising the combination with a heating chamber, of.

heating elements within the chamber, a sweating' compartment within the heating' chamber.

, the said'compartment having a bottom inclined to a discharge opening, a receptacle in the sweating compartment for receiving metal to be sweated, a pivotal mounting for vthe receptacle enabling the said receptacle to be turned upon the mounting and thereby swung upwardly and outwardly from the sweating compartment and into inverted dumping position, and mechanism for shaking the receptacle, the said mechanism comprising a bar pivotally supported for free vertical movement, suspending means for the receptacle connecting the bar and receptacle, the said means being releasable from the receptacle for enabling the receptacle to be swung from the melting compartment into dumping position, actuating means secured to the bar, and means for imparting vibratory movement tothe said actuating means.

i. A furnace for separating lower melting from `higher melting metals and alloys, comprising the creasing heat as the said metal ows to the discharge opening, thereby maintaining the metal sufiiciently fluid for it to drain thoroughly through the discharge opening.

5; A furnace for separating lower melting from higher melting metals and alloys, comprising the combination with a heating chamber, of heating elements within the heating chamber, a receptacle mounted in thev heating chamber forming an inclined sweating compartment, a perforate holder suspended within the said receptacle for receiving material to be sweated, the said receptacle having a discharge opening at its bottom and at one end thereof, and being inclined so that metal sweated from material in the holder will drain through the said discharge opening, a pivotal mounting in the sweating compartment for the holder enabling the said holder to be swung upwardly and outwardly from the sweating compartment and into inverted dumping position, releasable means for suspending the holder in the sweating receptacle, and mechanism for vertically shaking the suspending means and holder, the said mechanism comprising a lever pivotally supported for free vertical movement, anl actuating arm secured to the lever, an abutment engaged bythe lever on its downward stroke, and mechanism for imparting vertical reciprocatory motion to the said actuating arm.

Vlo

6. A furnace for separating lower melting from A be sweated, certain of the said heating elements A extending longitudinally o f the -said container, other of the heating elements extending transversely of the container beneath the lowest portion thereof for imparting maximum heat to the sweated metal for maintaining the said metal freely liquid fordischarge through the discharge opening, and mechanism for vertically shaking the said holder.

JESSE 0. BE'I'I'ERTON.

KARL A. LINDNER. 

